Improvement in portable boxes



UNITED STATES PATENT OEEICE.

ADOLPHE DREYSPRING, OF MONTGOMERY, ALABAMA.

IMPROVEMENT IN PORTABLE BOXES.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 21,748, dated October 12, 1858.

nying drawings, making part of this speeifi cation, in which- Figure l is a perspective view of the box; Fig. 2, a horizontal View of the box when the top and bottom of the sameare removed; Fig. 3, a vetical section of the box, and Fig. 4 a longitudinal elevation of the box when the same is nearly folded.

The same letters of reference denote similar parts in these various figures.

The nature of v my invention consists in constructing a box capable of being folded or pressed without thereby impairing its form or its usefulness. p

To enable others skilled in the art to make and use my invention, I will proceed to describe its construction and operation.

I take two pieces of pasteboard of rectangular forms, each of which is to comprise two vertical sides of the box. The joints at h and k are made by slight incisions of the pasteboard on the dividing-lines between two vertical squares.

The joints ati and g are made by turning inside small portions t c and g w of the rectangles by making slight incisions. The four vertical joints thus formed are then pasted together on the inside, and the outside of the said joints are covered with and pasted to linen, cotton, cloth, or other suitable material for the purpose of preventing the breaking of the joints by frequent folding and unfolding of the box.

The bottom of the box, g Z m h, consists of a square piece of pasteboard, and is attached to the side a b y h by being pasted thereto by means of linen, cotton, cloth, or other suitable material, on which it turns or hinges. To prevent the bottom from turning below its proper surface, there are narrow ledges, strips, or borders s s in the interior ofthe four Vertical sides, and fastened to the lower parts of the same. These strips do not extend to the folding-joints, in order not to obstruct the easy folding of the box. Near the lower corners of the vertical sides two strings, o o, are inserted diagonally, so as to prevent the vertical squares of the box from opening beyond a right angle. These strings also serve to iucrease the tightness of the vertical joints.

' The lid d a e-f of the box is square, hinging or turning on the vertical square a d g k, it being attached to the same by means of linen, cotton, cloth, or other suitable material. When the lid is shut, it will rest on the interior strips, rr, fastened to the vertical squares, so as form a plane with the upper lines of the front square and the rear square of the box. The two side squares, a b g It and d c lo i, are made higher in order to keep the lid in its place when the same is shut. The lid may be tied to the front square by the strings n n., and the bottom is tied to the side square by the strings o o, which are inserted for this purpose. When the box is to be folded together, these strings are untied, the lid is turned backward on the outside of the vertical rear square, the bottom is turned inward and upward on the side square, and the vertical squares are then folded, as shown in Fig. 4.

I have stated that these boxes are to be made of pasteboard; but I do not meanv to confine myself to this material, as they may be manufactured of other material, such as `thin wood, papiecmach, and so forth.

I deem it proper to say that throughout the Southern and in many of the Western States the light boxes in use there have to be imported from the Eastern cities, where the manufacturing of boxes is carried on; but the boxes, incapable of being folded together. require much space, and are liable to the risk of breaking or spoiling during the transport. The principal advantage of my improvement, therefore, consists in providing the means of a cheap and easy transport of light boxes.

Itis self-evident that my improved boxes nwill be folded when not required for use, and

unfolded whenever required.

What I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

Constructing boxes capable of being folded and unfolded without thereby impairing their shape or their usefulness, substantially as described. ADOLPHE DREYSPRING.

Vitn esses:

Cris. VEHLE, WM. LEE. 

